US Census Data For H Street SW

Average Household Income:

1990:$ 40,180

2000:$ 56,572

2010:$ 73,208

Population                         

Male:

1990: 49.7%

2000: 48.4%

2010: 48.3%

Female

1990: 50.3%

2000: 51.6%

2010: 51.7%

Population by Race

White Alone: 

1990: 20.5%

2000: 22.4%

2010: 47.7%
Black or African American Alone

1990: 76.6%

2000: 73.0%

2010: 45.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native Alone 

1990: 0.2%

2000: 0.2%

2010: 0.4%

Asian Alone

1990: 0.7%

2000: 1.2%

2010: 2.5%
Pacific Islander Alone

1990: 0.0%

2000: 0.0%

2010: 0.1%
Other Race

1990: 0.7%

2000: 1.1%

2010: 1.3%
Two or More Races

1990: 1.3%

2000: 2.0%

2010: 2.8%

H Street Stands for "H"ipster

I have chosen H Street as my urban society focus region . This area jumped out at me due to the newly claimed title that Forbes Magazine gave to H Street as on of America's hippest "hipster" neighborhood. Out of all of the cities in the US H Street came in 6th. 

An excerpt from the Forbes article, "Politico" hipsters flock to this DC hood, separated from the rest of the city by the H. Street Bridge. Revitalization efforts ramped up in the area, also known as the Atlas District, in the mid 2000s and today the enclave is known for nightlife that includes dance clubs, rock venues, burlesque shows and restaurants like Sticky Rice that offer patrons a game speed bingo alongside their meals. The H. Street Festival and the nearby food truck extravaganza Truckeroo Festival help add to the hipness". This definition of H. Street made me not just giggle but it also perked my ears towards this new subculture of hipsters that are taking over H. Street. 

Now the means in which Forbes went about rating H. Street's "hipness" was, walkability, coffee shops per capita, availability of food trucks, farmers' markets, locally owned bars and restaurants, the size of the artistic community, and how often the words associated with hipness come up when speaking of the neighborhood.

I cannot wait to dive into this area and engulf myself in the subculture that is the H. Street Hipster. 

SW DC Tour

DC's southwest region is a prime example of urban renewal and city planning trends. This neighborhood fell prey to the 1960s urban renewal philosophy that resulted in monolithic blocks devoid of any human activity.

Now a-days, the concept of small-scale urban regions is back in fashion leading developers to RE-renovate this area. While not many of the area's residents welcome the changes, many newer arrivals embrace the plans that ultimately promise to remake the urban landscape in the new 5 years. 

While on my visit to SW I underwent this feeling that I was in an isolated part of town...well at least to the northern region. The SW Freeway acts a barrier from the Mall and the surrounding federal buildings. Only in South Capitol Street does the neighborhood connect to the rest of the city.

This method of blocking off this region wasn't always this way. About 100 years ago, the area was a crowded enclave...meaning it was the first stop for immigrants from Europe, as well as the freed slaves from the South. Though this was a poor area, it was a scene of rows of houses with busy stoops and bustling street activity centralized in what is now 4th Street SW. 

After doing some research on this area I learned that in the 1920s a decline began to occur and extended through the 1950s. Concerns about the existence of these "poor folk" lead contractors to experiment in what is now known as "urban-renewal".  Small shops and basic house holds were replaced by massive office building and high-rise apartment buildings. The interesting bit of knowledge that I found was that although all of this space was added, human activity was basically removed from sight. 

These changes were not all negative, however. The separation from the rest of the city  gives it a relatively peaceful and remote feeling. This area as I observed, was much greener and spacious than other neighborhoods that I walked through in DC. 

According to a listing price guide on DC homes, SW is one of the cheapest places to buy a condo or co-op unit in the city. 

Aside from the housing, SW has a surprising diverse population. Many Federal employees moved to this area after it was redeveloped yet, some residents are commonly younger with families. 

SW Waterfront area is also home to a number of public housing projects that lie towards the East and to add to the mix many residents (several hundred) live on boats in the Washington Marina. The Washington Marina is one of the largest "live-aboard" communities in the country.